1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for controlling the direction of drive currents supplied to plural loads such as motors or solenoids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent precision equipment such as a camera or video recorder often contains various loads such as motors or solenoids. For example, in a photographic camera, the film advance/rewind mechanism and the lens driving mechanism are often driven by respective exclusive motors. In such case, the motor performs film winding or lens advancement in forward rotation, and film rewinding or lens retraction in reverse rotation. A circuit for controlling the direction of current supplied to a motor for causing forward or reverse rotation thereof is for example disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,171. This circuit is provided with two serial circuits, each consisting of a pair of serially connected semiconductor switching means and both connected in parallel manner between positive and negative power supply lines, wherein a motor is connected between the junction of two switching means in one serial circuit and the corresponding junction in the other serial circuit. Since the motor consumes a relatively large amount of power in a precision equipment such as a camera, the switching means have to be relatively large in order to switch the current to the motor. In the above-mentioned camera, as my separate current direction controlling circuits are required as there are motors, and this has been a major factor hindering the compactness and cost reduction of the camera.